Winner: 2025 Interdisciplinary Prize
Professor Duncan Graham
University of Strathclyde
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2025 Interdisciplinary Prize: awarded for forging interdisciplinary collaborations that demonstrate the power of Raman spectroscopy as an enabling capability in the life sciences.
The primary aim of Duncan Graham's research is to combine chemical modification of nanoparticles with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to enable novel measurement capabilities in the life and clinical sciences. Close collaboration with non-chemists is essential for identifying the key challenges in their fields that can be addressed through our expertise.
This interdisciplinary approach has already led to several impactful breakthroughs, including the development of a SERS-based method for detecting biomarkers associated with drug-induced liver injury at the point of care. This technology is currently in clinical trials, with the long-term goal of integrating it into routine clinical practice to enhance patient care. This example illustrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, which lies at the heart of the group's research philosophy.
Biography
Duncan Graham is a Distinguished Professor, Associate Principal and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He was appointed as a Lecturer in 2002 at the University of Strathclyde and promoted to Professor in 2004. In 2007 he was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, then awarded the RSC鈥檚 Corday-Morgan Prize in 2009, a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award in 2010, the Coblentz Society Craver Award, a Fellows Award from the Society for Applied Spectroscopy in 2012, the RSC鈥檚 Theophilus Redwood Prize in 2016, and the FACSS Charles Mann Award in 2017.
He served as editor-in-chief of the RSC journal Analyst for seven years and has just started as editor-in-chief of the RSC journal Chemical Society Reviews. He was president of the RSC Analytical Division (2017-2020), trustee of the Analytical 九州影院 Trust Fund (2017-2020) and then chaired the RSC Publishing Board, as well as serving as a trustee (2020-2024). He has published over 300 papers with 17 patents and has supervised over 70 PhD students and 40 postdoctoral researchers. His scientific interests are in developing new diagnostic assays based on nanoparticles and spectroscopy, with target molecules including DNA, RNA, proteins and small molecule biomarkers.
Having an environment that supports open discussion of ideas and the ability to follow through with experimental work is highly rewarding and accelerates scientific progress.
Professor Duncan Graham
Q&A with Professor Duncan Graham
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
I鈥檝e been very fortunate to have outstanding mentors and collaborators throughout my career. My PhD supervisor, Professor Tom Brown, gave me the confidence to pursue my ideas and grow as an independent researcher. During my postdoctoral work, Professor Ewen Smith was instrumental in showing me what it means to be an academic, particularly how to engage effectively with collaborators across different disciplines. I鈥檓 deeply grateful to both for their inspiration and guidance, which have been fundamental to my career in chemistry so far.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
Research culture is a key aspect of overall workplace culture, and it is essential to prioritise and continually nurture it. People are at the heart of scientific progress, and when researchers feel happy, supported and valued, they are more likely to find fulfilment in their careers. Creating an inclusive research culture, where everyone has a voice, is treated with respect and feels a sense of belonging, generates a highly productive and supportive environment for both career development and research excellence.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
Ambitious step changes in knowledge and impact are only possible through collaboration with partners who bring complementary skills, enabling a team-based approach to both the science and its outcomes. Having an environment that supports open discussion of ideas and the ability to follow through with experimental work is highly rewarding and accelerates scientific progress. It also creates a supportive space for researchers to be trained, develop their own ideas and build professional networks.
What is your favourite element?
Yttrium 鈥� lecturing in a first year class early in my career, I confidently stated that we use Y to represent EDTA in the equation I was showing, as there is no element with the symbol Y. A hand went up in the class, pointed at the giant periodic table above my head and asked: 鈥淲hat about yttrium?鈥�. Ah right. And at that point it became my favourite element.